Door latch



Dec. 1, l BEELER DOOR LATCH Filed Feb. 28, 1930 INVENTOR Patented Dec.1, 1931 UNETED STATES IVAN E. BEELER, OF PORTLAND, OREGON DOOR LATCHApplication filed February 28, 1930.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in latchesfor use upon doors opening to either side.

"one of the principal objects of the invention resides in. the provisionand arrangement of foot operated means for actuating the latch.

An additional object of the invention consists of means forautomatically resetting the latch upon releasing the foot operated meanswhereby the door will be retained in closed position when swung withinthe door frame.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention furtherconsists of the following novel features and details of construction, tobe hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a door and framethereof partly broken away to illustrate the construction andarrangement of the invention thereon for use in conjunction therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken through thelatch mecha nism.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the foot operated means,

Figure 4 a fragmentary detail sectional view taken through that portionof the foot operated means having connection with. the latch.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like charactersof referencedenote corresponding parts, the reference character 10 indicatesgenerally a conventional form of door frame having a door, such asindicated at 11, swingahly mounted laterally thereof upon pintles 12 and13 bearingly mounted within blocks 14 on the upper surfaceof the floorand the under surface and rail of the uppermost or top section of thedoor frame. All of the above is of the usual and well known constructionincident to that of swinging doors and forms no part ofthe presentapplication for Letters-Patent but the details of construction arementioned merely for the purpose of Serial No. (l32,188.

of the swingably mounted door 11. The latch bolt 17 slidably mountedwithin an apertured disk 18 anchored at a desired point in the length ofthe housing 15 carries an enlarged head 19 provided with oppositelyinclined or beveled faces 20 upon the sides thereof and meeting at theiroutermost ends, as substantiated from the illustration of my inventionin Figure 6 of the drawlngs.

The latch head 19 is also provided with shoulder portions 21 whollywithin the housing 15 and designed for abutting engagement with theinner sides of an inturned flange 22 upon the outermost projecting endof said housing. When the shoulders 21 are forced against the flange 22,incident to the expanding actionof a compression spring 23 encirclingthe latch pin 17 and sprung at its ends against the adjacent surfaces ofthe disk 18 and latch head 19, same will restrict further egress of theentire latch assembly. It is obviously apparent that the latch head 19is engaged and disengaged with the station ary latch keeper escutcheonplate 16 in the ordinary manner.

A pulley wheel 24 horizontally disposed within one end of the housing 15has trained thereover a connecting element or cord 25 joined at itsuppermost end with the adjacent extremity of the latch bolt 17 anddepending within the confines of the immediate hollow enclosure of thedoor frame for ultimate connection with a fulcrum lever 26 disposedbeneath the floor surface. One end of the fulcrum lever is bifurcated,as at 27, to facilitate accommodation of an eye bolt or screw 28 and toproject a common pivot pin 29 therethrough in order that the fulcrumlever may swing in a manner about to be described. A sleeve member 30,also projecting through the floor surface, is provided with attachingflanges 31 secured to the under surface of the flooring, in the mannershown in Figure 4; of the drawings whereas guide flanges32v depending ascontinuations of the walls of the sleeve 30 are projected upon oppositesidesof 5 ,the fulcrum-lever 26f to prevent distortion thereof. V Y

A cross bar 33, carried upon the opposite end of the fulcrum lever 26,carries foot engaging portions '34 upon the ends thereof having theheads'projecting for given distances above the surfaceofthe floonassubstantiated from theillustration of my invention in Figure 1. Aretractile spring 35', en-

, circling-the connecting element 25 within the sleeve 30 is anchored atits endsto the latter and tothat portions of the operating lever 2'6disposed'between the guide flanges 32;

' From the foregoing description and accornpanyingdrawings, it isunderstood that the springs 23 and'35 respectively will normally dispose thelatch bolt in locking position and the fulcrum lever 26 as in Figure 1whereby thedoor will be locked against entry by unauthorized personsbutQeasily accessible to proper'parties merely by the depressing of thefoot engaging portions 35. 7

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form,'proportionsand minor details of construction, and the right is here- 3 in reservedto make such changes as proper- 1v fall within the scope of the appendedclaim. 7

'Having described the invention what is claimed is A latchcolnprising ahousing, a spring pressedboltslidably mounted the housing,a'lever,pivotallyfm0unted below the housing, a flexible elementconnecting said bolt with the lever, a sleeve slotted at its lowerendand adapted tor'eceive the lever, said flexible elef mentpassing'through said sleeve and a spring housed within the sleeve andconnectedat one end with the sleeveand at its other end with tlie'lever,

Injtestiniony whereof I affi x invsignature.

v w IVAN E. VBEELERI.

